Happ 2nd In ROY Voting

JA Happ did not win the National League Rookie of the Year award but finished 2nd in voting. Winning the NL honors was Chris Coghlan of the Florida Marlins. Coghlan won 105-94 in votes over Happ. Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson had 37 points and Pirates outfield Andrew McCutchen had 25.

Here is the comparison of the two via Todd Zolecki's article:

Coghlan led all NL rookies in average (.321), runs (84), hits (162), doubles (31), total bases (232), multi-hit games (51) and on-base percentage (.390). Coghlan also posted back-to-back 47-hit months -- becoming the first NL player with 94 hits in a two-month span since 1978 -- and finished sixth in the NL in batting average. Happ was 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA and topped NL rookie pitchers in innings (166), strikeouts (119), complete games (three) and shutouts (two). He had the most wins for any Phillies rookie since Tom Underwood had 14 in 1975. Happ's ERA ranks 11th in franchise history among rookies, and was the lowest since Ben Tincup had a 2.61 ERA in 1914.

Sore Neck Scratches Pedro

Pedro Martinez will not pitch tonight due to more stiffness in his neck. Kyle Kendrick (2-1, 2.70 ERA) will pitch in his place versus the Brewers.

Martinez pulled a muscle in his neck while swinging at a pitch in his last start versus the Braves. He threw Friday off flat ground, but felt he couldn't pitch today. He did say he would go if he had to but the Phillies aren't pressured by the Marlins and Braves so they opted to scratch him.

Four Games in Brew-Town

Records: Phillies (88-63, 46-31 on road); Brewers (75-77, 38-39 at home)

Pitching Probables:
Thursday: PHI: Happ (10-4, 2.77), MIL: Suppan (7-10, 4.76)
Friday: PHI: Lee, Cl (14-11, 2.99), MIL: Parra, M (10-10, 6.42)
Saturday: PHI: Martinez, P (5-1, 3.32), MIL: Looper (13-7, 5.12)
Sunday: PHI: Blanton (11-7, 3.82), MIL: Bush (5-8, 6.22)

The Brewers lead the series 2-1. Currently the Phillies are trying to finish off the division while the Brewers, who are already eliminated, are trying to play for pride and a plus-.500 record. The Phillies are coming off a rough series loss to the Marlins so they are looking to right the ship and sail into the playoffs through Milwaukee. If things go right, the Phillies can clinch the division with three wins and at least two losses by both Florida (vs. NYM) and Atlanta (@ WAS).

There isn't much more to talk about in this series. The Brewers aren't in the playoff picture anymore and the Phillies are just trying to seal the deal. Phillies win three and move on to try and win the first seed.

Phillies Magic #6

I apologize for not having this up sooner. I went to the Dave Matthews Band concert last night and had school commitments this morning and afternoon. In brief, the Phillies took two from Atlanta, dropping their magic number to six. It was an odd series as JA Happ, Pedro Martinez, and Cliff Lee all saw shortened action for a variety of reasons.

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (87-61, 45-29 on road) @ Florida Marlins (80-70, 40-35 at home)


Pitching Probables:
Tuesday #1: PHI: Blanton (10-7, 3.97) vs. FLA: Johnson, Josh (15-4, 3.01)
Tuesday #2: PHI: Moyer (12-9, 5.05) vs. FLA: Sanchez, An (2-7, 4.50)
Wednesday: PHI: Hamels (10-9, 4.07); FLA: VandenHurk (2-2, 4.24)

The Phillies can very easily put the division away with a sweep of the Marlins and more falling by the Braves. With each win, the magic number decreases one and each loss by the Braves or Marlins sees the magic drop another game as well.

The Phillies lead the series 7-5 and after this three game series in Miami, they will play three more to finish the season back home. The Marlins need a sweep bad and the Phillies want to win their third straight division title since 1976-1978, their only other time doing it.

The Marlins are third in the NL in batting average while the Phillies are 10th. The Phillies are first in runs scored while Florida is fourth. As far as pitching goes, the Marlins are ninth in ERA and the Phillies are sixth.

The Phillies have held the slight season advantage and the Marlins seem to be pretty much out of this season. I expect at least two wins by the Phightin's.

Phillies Sweep Nationals; Magic Number at 10

It's time to start the countdown. The Phillies magic number is now 10 after their sweeping of the worst team in baseball, Washington. The starting pitching all series was ridiculous, going 23 innings, and allowing only one run on 16 hits, 8 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The bull pen was just as good, only needing to pitch four innings, and surrendering only two runs. Brad Lidge even notched a save in Thursday's game.

Tuesday - Phillies won 5-0: Cliff Lee came in dealing as he notched a complete game shut out, striking out 10 and allowing six hits and a walk. The Phillies got all five of their runs in the first two innings. Carlos Ruiz had two doubles and three RBI's and Jayson Werth had three hits.

Wednesday - Phillies won 6-1: It was a low scoring, tight pitcher's duel until Washington decided to yank Livan Hernandez. Versus the third pitcher of the sixth inning and with the bases loaded, Jayson Werth blew the game wide open with a grand slam.

Thursday - Phillies won 4-2: Cole Hamels kept the trend of great pitching going with his eight-inning, one run effort and striking out ten. Hamels even had an RBI single in the sixth inning. Brad Lidge came on for his 30th save, allowing a run.

Series MVP's:

Cliff Lee: CG, SHO, 6 H, 1 BB, 10 K

Jayson Werth: 6-11, run, homer, 4 RBI's,

Cole Hamels: 8 IP, 1 R/ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 10 K

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (85-60, 43-28 on road) @ Atlanta Braves (78-68, 38-33 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Friday: PHI: Happ (10-4, 2.77), ATL: Hudson, T (1-0, 3.63)

Saturday: PHI: Martinez, P (5-0, 2.87), ATL: Vazquez, J (13-9, 3.01)

Sunday: PHI: Lee, Cl (14-11, 3.00), ATL: Hanson (10-3, 2.65)

Key Game: Friday's game will be pivitol for both teams. For the Braves, it will be a way to end the Phillies win streak and gain an early advantage in the series. For the Phillies, JA Happ is making his first start since September 2.

Braves lead the season series 9-6 but the Phillies have taken two of the last three. The Phillies are also red hot, winners of five straight and six of their last seven. The Braves are going to want to use the advantage they had on the Phillies all season to gain some ground in the division. This is their last series against the Phillies this year and they want to make it count.

The Braves will be putting up three of their better pitchers on the mound but so will the Phillies. Every game is expected to be low scoring and a pitcher's duel even though the Phillies do have one of the scariest offenses in the league and that is supported with them being first in runs scored in the NL and tenth in average. The Braves are sixth and fourth in those respective categories. The pitching has drastically improved for the Phillies as they are sixth in ERA while the Braves are third.

This is a huge series for both teams. This is a different Phillies team though. This is a team who knows what it's like to be the best and they won't let it up to the Braves. The Braves have nothing to lose so expect a very tough series for them. Phillies win two.

Pitchers Dominate Series

The bats of the Phillies came alive at very precise moments to provide a very low-scoring series win. In fact, the Phillies won the series 2-1 despite being outscored 5-3 by the Giants. It was a quick series too as the games lasted 2:20, 2:36, and 2:08 respectively.

Tuesday - Phillies won 1-0: The Phillies got all the offense it needed from Ryan Howard's RBI double in the 4th as Cole Hamels pitched a complete game shut out. In nine innings, Hamels struck out nine, allowing only two hits and a walk.

Wednesday - Giants won 4-0: JA Happ got whacked around a bit and the Phillies offense made Brad Penny look like an ace. Happ gave up all four runs on eight hits and a walk, striking out seven in six innings. Penny threw eight shut out innings, surrendering five hits and a walk.

Thursday - Phillies won 2-1: Pedro Martinez looked ten years younger as he threw seven innings of one-run ball after giving up a first pitch homer to start the game. He struck out nine batters and only threw 87 pitches. He got support from Jayson Werth's monster blast in the second and then from Howard's RBI double in the sixth.

Series MVP's:

Cole Hamels: CG, 0 R/ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 K

Ryan Howard: 4-11, 3 doubles, 2 RBI's, 2 GW hits

Pedro Martinez: 7 IP, 1 R/ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 9 K

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (77-54, 41-23 on road) @ Houston Astros (63-70, 35-30 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Friday: PHI: Lee, Cl (12-10, 2.83), HOU: Rodriguez, W (12-9, 2.93)

Saturday: PHI: Blanton (9-6, 3.77), HOU: Oswalt (8-5, 3.80)

Sunday: PHI: Hamels (8-8, 4.26), HOU: Norris (3-3, 6.61)

Monday: PHI: Happ (10-4, 2.77), HOU: Moehler (8-10, 5.11)

Key Game:

The Phillies need to establish their dominance in this series early. Friday's game is key because it is Cliff Lee's first start since getting burned against the Braves. He will look to feast on a weak Astros offense.

This is the first match ups between the two teams. It will be a four-game series which is actually good for the Phillies since they are road warriors. The Astros are pretty much out of this season so the Phillies can easily kick this team while they are down.

The Astros are a poor team all around. Offensively they are 5th in average and 12th in scoring in the NL while the Phillies are 11th and 2nd. The drop from 1st to 2nd is due to the Phillies lack of scoring their past 7 games. Pitching has really stepped up for the Phillies as they are 7th in ERA while Houston is 12th.

This should be a series win for the Phillies as they see their magic number drop fast. They have their four best pitchers going versus Houston as they get set for a good September heading into the playoffs. Phillies take three and score big in atleast two games.

Phillies Gain Ground

The Phightin's came up with a huge series win on Atlanta tonight, expanding their division lead to eight games on both the Braves and Fish. This series showed how human Cliff Lee can be and how effective Pedro Martinez and Jamie Moyer are in the same game. This gives the Phillies more depth in the bull pen as the "two old goats" could see time there in the playoffs.

Friday - Phillies won 4-2: Ryan Howard had two homers and drove in all four runs. It was another rain delayed game so the Pedro-Moyer connections pitched 6.1 innings allowing a run on five hits and striking out six. Moyer earned the win and Brad Lidge notched his 26th save.

Saturday - Braves won 9-1: Lee came back down to earth as he got rocked by Atlanta for six runs on three long balls. He lasted five innings, striking out five. Chase Utley hit a homer in the first and that was it for the scoring.

Sunday - Phillies won 3-2: Big Joe Blanton got some run support in the seventh off of Carlos Ruiz's two run double. Blanton tossed seven innings, allowing a run on three hits and four walks, striking out seven. Brad Lidge pitched a 1-2-3- ninth for his 27th save.

Series MVP's:

Ryan Howard: 6-11, 2 R, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Chase Utley: 5-12, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI

Brad Lidge: 2 IP, 2 K, 2 Saves (this is impressive the way he's played all year)

Next Series: San Francisco Giants (72-59, 28-38) @ Philadelphia Phillies (75-53, 34-30 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Tuesday: SF: Sanchez, J (6-10, 4.27), PHI: Hamels (7-8, 4.52)

Wednesday: SF: Lincecum (13-4, 2.33), PHI: Happ (10-3, 2.63)

Thursday: SF: Zito (9-11, 3.94), PHI: Martinez, P (2-0, 4.50)

Key Game: Wednesday's game is going to feature NL Rookie of the Year candidate JA Happ versus last year's NL Cy Young winner and candidate for this year, Tim Lincecum. Both pitchers have been tops on their teams and are in the top five in ERA in the NL. Lincecum pitched eight scoreless as the Giants shut out the Phillies on August 1. Happ hasn't face San Fran this year.

The Giants lead the series 3-1 after dominance in their own park. Well the Giants aren't that hot on the road and the Phillies have been good in their own park as of late. This should be a very interesting series as the Giants are in a heated Wild Card race with the Rockies.

The Giants are not an offensive powerhouse like the Phillies. They're ninth in the NL in average and 13th in runs scored. They are also 16th in homers. The Phillies are first in runs scored and homers and 11th in average. Pitching is the other way around as the Giants are second in ERA while the Phillies are eighth.

The Phillies are very capable of winning this series as they only have to face Lincecum and not Matt Cain as well. If the bats can wake up a bit, they should be able to win this series to keep pace in the NL east. Phillies will take two this series.

Just Call Him the Rain Man

Jamie Moyer has found a new home in his long relief role. Yes Chan Ho Park is still the innings guy but Moyer as excelled this year in his two roles post-rain delay. Grampa Jamie is now officially "The Rain Man."

In his two appearances since being demoted to the bull pen, Moyer has gone 10.1 innings and has allowed one run on six hits and no walks, striking out 1o. His first appearance came versus Arizona where he pitched six scoreless innings to complete the game and earning the win. His second came last night versus Atlanta where he again recorded the win. Both times were when Pedro Martinez started.

Moyer has seemed to have embraced his new role after he was publicly displeased with the Phillies decision to put him in the pen. He isn't acting like Jon Lieber, who would pitch like crap about five years ago when he was dumped to the pen. Moyer is a professional and loves the game and sees any opportunity to pitch and help this team as a blessing.

Before Moyer's demotion and Martinez's call up, I figured the Phillies could get 7-8 effective innings if they combined the two pitchers. It doesn't have to be in a rain delay situation. As Martinez starts to fatigue, you can warm up Moyer. If you add in Martinez's stats to Moyer's two appearances, you get these Cliff Lee-like numbers: 15.1 IP, 2 R/ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 14 K in two starts. That's an ERA below 2.00 and a WHIP at around 0.67

Pedro-Moyer is shutting down opponents because of their two different styles of pitching. Martinez throws in the mid to high 80's and uses a slider in the low 80's and a change up that hits around 75. Moyer throws around 81 with a change up around the same speed as Martinez's. This makes their fast balls and Pedro's slider more effective. It also prevents them from wearing down as much, especially because Martinez is 37 and Moyer is 47.

"You never know what you'll get when you put two old goats out there," Martinez said following a 5-1 victory over the D'Backs on August 18. "It's a scary combination. You're not going to see that very often. You might as well enjoy it. I enjoyed it."

Plundered By Pirates

After exploding versus the Mets, the offense basically died down minus a few spurts versus Pittsburgh. Another problem that needs to be corrected before the season ends is the bull pen. Brad Lidge blew another save in the first game and Ryan Madson even followed that up with one the next game, erasing a great start by Cole Hamels.

Tuesday - Pirates won 6-4: After being down 3-2, the Phillies offense exploded to take a 4-3 lead. All Lidge has to do is get three outs, right? Should be an easy task. Not for him as he gave up a hit, an error by Jayson Werth that allowed the tying run to score and then a two-run walk off home run by Andrew McCutchen to end it.

Wednesday - Phillies won 4-1: Hamels went eight shut out innings, allowing seven hits and a pair of walks, striking out seven. Madson came in for the save and gave up a home run. Ryan Howard saved the game with a three run blast. Chase Utley had a homer in the first.

Thursday - Pirates won 3-2: JA Happ pitched a rare complete game loss as he went eight innings. He had the lead all the way until the eighth when he surrendered a two run homer to Garret Jones. He still pitched well, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks. He also struck out four. Paul Bako hit his second homer of the year.

Next Series: Atlanta Braves (67-60, 32-30 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (73-52, 33-29 at home)

Braves lead the series 8-4. The Braves are still seven games back from the Phillies and they know they need to sweep to get back in this. The Phillies are streaky and want to avoid that scenario as much as possible. They will have Cliff Lee on the mound during the series and he has shown no signs of being beatable yet.

On the offensive side, the Braves have a tendency to get guys on base but not get them home. They are third in the NL in batting average but only seventh in runs scored. The Phillies have the opposite problem as they lead the league in scoring. Atlanta is fourth in pitching ERA while the Phillies are improving, moving up to sixth.

The match ups at pitcher favor the Phillies despite the first game. Pedro Martinez has shown some bright spots but he isn't much of a difference than Jamie Moyer. Both teams need to win this series but the Braves need a sweep more, a much more difficult task. Phillies will bounce back to win the series.

Pitching Probables:

Friday: ATL: Hanson (9-2, 3.12), PHI: Martinez, P (2-0, 5.14)

Saturday: ATL: Lowe, D (12-8, 4.48), PHI: Lee, Cl (12-9, 2.63)

Sunday: ATL: Jurrjens (10-8, 2.91), PHI: Blanton (8-6, 3.88)

Pitching, Homers Win Series

I was quieted a bit by the Phillies as I had little faith in them winning this series in Atlanta. They were going into the series 2-7 versus the Braves and wound up winning two. They could have easily had the sweep if Brad Lidge didn't blow his eighth save of the year and the game with his throwing error.

The offense has remained relatively cool but has seen a lot of big flies. Ryan Howard had three homers in the series. Despite the hitting issues, the starting pitching has been phenomenal, including Cole Hamels' recent start.

Friday - Phillies won 3-2: Joe Blanton pitched a great game, allowing two runs, one earned, in seven innings of work. He got support from Chase Utley's two run bomb in the fourth. Howard took Rafael Soriano deep in the top of the ninth and allowed Lidge to record his 22nd save.

Saturday - Braves won 4-3: Fast forward to the ninth. After Hamels pitched six strong innings and a three-man bull pen effort went another scoreless two, Lidge had to get three outs. First batter hits a seeing-eye single and then this is when the wheels fell off. A sacrifice bunt turned into a throwing error by Lidge to score the first guy from first! After loading the bases and getting an out, Omar Infante hit a single between third and short to win the game.

Sunday - Phillies won 4-1: After a rain delay that lasted over 90 minutes, Howard supplied all of the offense with three hits, hitting two homers and driving in four RBI's. JA Happ went 7.2 innings and pitched well despite allowing six walks. Brad Lidge earned his 23rd save, pitching to one batter.

Series MVP's:

Ryan Howard - 4-10, 3 runs, 3 HR, 6 RBI's

JA Happ - 7.2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 6 BB, 3 K

Shane Victorino: 4-11, 3 runs, double, triple, SB

Next Series: Arizona Diamondbacks (54-64, 26-29 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (66-49, 29-29 at home)

Phillies lead the series 2-1. Arizona has fallen out of the playoff picture and they are playing for pride now. The Phillies are trying to keep on top of the NL East, where they have been since the end of May.

Arizona hasn't been an offensive power at all this year. They are 12th in the NL in average while the Phillies sit at 11th. Meanwhile in runs scored, the D'Backs are eighth while the Phillies are first.

The pitching match ups don't favor Arizona at all. Pedro Martinez is making his Philly debut Tuesday and will be looking to impress. Cliff Lee and Blanton will follow him up, two of the Phillies' hottest pitchers. The Phillies will win the series.

Pitching Probables:

Tuesday: ARI: Garland (6-10, 4.28), PHI: Martinez, P (1-0, 5.40)

Wednesday: ARI: Haren (12-7, 2.50), PHI: Lee, Cl (10-9, 2.86)

Thursday: ARI: Davis, D (7-10, 3.59), PHI: Blanton (7-6, 3.88)

Bouncing Back

The Phillies got swept by the Marlins. So how do they respond? They go to Chicago and beat up the Cubs, sweeping the three-game visit to regain some of the ground lost versus Florida. The Starting pitching was the reason this team made the Cubs look like a team who is starting it's decline in the Wild Card race.

Tuesday - Phillies won 4-3: The Phillies got another quality outing from rookie JA Happ as he gave up a couple runs in six innings of work. Brad Lidge blew his seventh save in the ninth and the Phillies got a solo homer from Ben Francisco in the top of the 12th to put them ahead.

Wednesday - Phillies won 12-3: This was an absolute butt kicking to go on top of Pedro Martinez's solid debut. He went five innings and allowing three runs. He struck out five. The Phillies got home runs from Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, and Raul Ibanez.

Thursday - Phillies won 6-1: Cliff Lee continued his dominance in his new home, going eight innings and allowing a single run. He struck out eight Ryan Howard hit a three run bomb and Pedro Feliz added a solo shot.

Series MVP's:

Cliff Lee: 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K

Shane Victorino: 4-13, 4 R, double, triple, HR, 2 RBI

Pedro Feliz: 5-14, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (64-48, 35-19 on road) @ Atlanta Braves (60-54, 30-25 at home)

The Braves are five games back on the Phillies but have been doing well against them all year. The Phillies are 2-7 versus Atlanta. The Braves have won their last five games and Phillies have won their last three. Both teams are in a bit of a groove even though the Phillies are playing very inconsistent. The Braves definitely have the momentum going into this series.

The Braves have been winning games with their pitching. They are third in the NL in ERA while the Phillies are in ninth. Offense is a different story as the Phillies score a lot of runs, being first in the NL while the Braves are ninth. The Braves' average is fifth while the Phillies are 11th.

I love being the optimist but the Phillies have a few things going against them. Good pitching beats good hitting and the consistent team always wins. The Braves feel they have a chance at the Wild Card and are not going to give up. Braves will win two.

Pitching Probables:

Friday: PHI: Blanton (7-6, 4.02), ATL: Jurrjens (9-8, 3.01)

Saturday: PHI: Hamels (7-7, 4.77), ATL: Kawakami (5-9, 4.12)

Sunday: PHI: Happ (8-2, 2.75), ATL: Vazquez, J (10-7, 2.90)

Phils Plunder Pirates

The Phillies earned a huge sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates to cap an incredible 9-1 home stand, erasing the memories of that 1-8 home stand in June. They started the stand with a sweep of the Mets and then won three of four versus Cincinnati. Pending today's games for the Marlins, Braves, and Mets the Phillies are currently 4.5, 5.5, and 7 games in first place respectively.

The Pirates came into this series on a cold spell and the Phillies were hot, playing teams they should and did beat up. The Pirates became the next victim of that Philly Butt Whuppin'. I said a few weeks ago that I am not worried about the Phillies because they heat up in July and they proceeded to make me look good. With the All Star break finally here, I will look back at the first half of the season probably Monday or Tuesday.

Friday - Phillies won 3-2: Shane Victorino provided the spark with three hits and a pair of doubles. The Pirates got their only two runs on solo homers off Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge. Blanton 7.1 innings, giving up a run on four hits, one walk, and striking out six. Lidge pitched .2 innings to earn his 18th save.

Saturday - Phillies won 8-7: Cole Hamels got roughed up in his outing, lasting six innings and giving up five runs on seven hits. The Pirates managed to hit three homers off the struggling ace. After falling early 5-0, the Phillies fought back to make it 5-3. Chad Durbin surrendered two runs in his very short outing as the Pirates made it 7-3.

In the bottom of the ninth, Matt Stairs hit a pinch hit homer to start things off. Then with one out and two men on, Ryan Howard hit a three-run bomb to left center to tie it up at seven. Ibanez hit the next pitch over the center field wall on a bounce for a ground-rule double, Jayson Werth walked, and Pedro Feliz hit an infield single off Mat Capps rear. Paul Bako stepped in and hit a walk off single to win the game.

Sunday - Phillies won 5-1: After scoring five runs in the ninth the night before, the Phillies got five quick runs thanks to a Howard sac fly and Feliz grand slam in the first inning. JA Happ pitched tremendous ball, going seven strong and giving up a run on four hits and two walks, striking our four.

Series MVP's:

Ryan Howard (PHI): 3-7, HR, 4 RBI's

JA Happ (PHI): 7 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Next Up: The All Star Break. I will go into more detail about the first half and the ASG tomorrow and Monday. Have a good few days and don't forget to watch the dingers by Howard on Monday in the derby and our five all stars on Tuesday.

Swept Again

Comcast Sportsnet had a great poll up but they missed one option. The question: what is the cause of the Phillies' struggles? A. bull pen inconsistency; B. Cole Hamels' struggles; C. Raul Ibanez's absence; D. Jimmy Rollins' struggles. I would love to add: E. All of the above.

The Phillies are 4-14 in their last 18 games. In those last 18, the bull pen has blown countless saves and pitched absolutely terrible. In games when the Phillies would be trailing only a run or two, the bull pen would surrender multiple runs to put the game out of reach. A part of this is due to the starters not going at least seven innings and that is completely draining the bull pen.

Ryan Madson has been the most dreadful of relievers. Since June 16, he's given up nine runs in seven appearances (6 2/3 innings). He has blown three saves. Madson isn't the only pitcher struggling as Hamels, who hasn't won a game since June 4, has been terrible. In his last five starts, he's 0-3, averaging less than six innings a start. He's given up 19 runs on 44 hits and 8 walks in 27 2/3 IP. Those are not numbers you want from your ace.

After being benched for four games, Rollins came back to go hitless in the first two games of the Braves series until Thursday night when he had two hits, snapping an 0-28 drought.

Tuesday: In a seesaw battle, the Phillies blew a 4-3 lead in the eighth and gave up a walk off hit in the 10th. Martin Prado capped his 4-5, four RBI game with the winning hit as the Braves won 5-4.

Wednesday: Jair Jurrjens took a no hitter into the seventh as the Braves dominated the Phillies 11-1.

Thursday: After tying the game up at two in the sixth, the Braves scored three in the eighth off Madson to win 5-2. JA Happ went seven strong, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks and striking out five.

Series MVP's:

ATL: Martin Prado: 7-12, 4 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 6 RBI

ATL: Matt Diaz: 7-11, 4 runs, double, HR, 3 RBI, SB

Next Series: New York Mets (39-39; 17-22 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (39-37; 13-22 at home)

We all know how big the Mets series is. It's the start of their final 10 game home stand going into the All Star Break. The Mets lead the series 4-3 but the Phillies have won the previous two. The Phillies can win the series still but at this rate, I am afraid of a sweep or series loss. Luckily Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez have hit some rough patches. I have nothing more to say.

Pitching Probables:

7/3: Hernandez, L (5-3, 4.04), Lopez, Ro (0-0, -.--)

7/4: Nieve (3-1, 2.25), Moyer (6-6, 6.05)

7/5: Santana, J (9-6, 3.34), Blanton (4-4, 5.08)

Happ On Mound Tonight

Tonight: Happ (5-0, 3.00), Vazquez, J (5-7, 3.04)

After dropping the first two games of the series to the Braves, the Phillies will try to rebound and get a win going into the crucial 10-game home stand starting versus New York. At this rate, the Phillies could easily be in second by the break or probably third. The Marlins are only 1/2 game back where as the Mets are only two games out.

The Phils heat up after the All Star break but with the pitching being as terrible as it has been and the inconsistency of the offense, this special run could be over very quick. I hate to play the role of the pessimist but this team is showing some serious signs of being a mediocre team. Last year's team was legitimately good. But when you lose your second best pitcher to injury (Brett Myers) or when age catches up to your leader in wins (Jamie Moyer), things tend to change.

Also injuries have plagued the Phillies bull pen with Brad Lidge going down and not being himself all year. He has only converted 14 of 20 saves and has an ERA of 7.57. Clay Condrey will be joining the Phillies soon as he also went on the DL. He probably has been their best reliever. Scott Eyre should be back this weekend. Raul Ibanez, the team's best offensive weapon this year, should also be back during the series versus the Mets.

I am getting blue in the face constantly saying this. Jimmy Rollins is the worst lead off hitter in the National League. He is hitless in 27 AB's and is swinging like a blind-folded kid hitting a piñata. The last time he had a hitless streak that bad was in 2002 at 25 AB's. I've said it before and I will say it again: "Lead Off Shane!"

Here are Jimmy's sweltering numbers on the season in 70 games:

AB: 307

R: 41

H: 63

2B: 15

3B: 1

HR: 6

RBI: 27

Avg: .205

OBP: .250

Phils Take Series in Toronto

It took 15 games, five series, and 17 days for the Phillies to finally take a series from an American League team during this stretch of inter league play. After dropping the first game to Toronto, the Phillies piled on two big victories to win consecutive games for the first time since the beginning of June.

It started out rocky like the previous four but the Phillies took control in the second game and sparked their offense when they needed it in the rubber match. After a terrible debut in the first game, Brad Lidge notched his first save since June 1. He is 14-20 now.

Friday: It was just one of those days. Hamels got whacked around a bit and then ejected, Chan Ho Park left with a right knee contusion, and the offense had to break up a no hitter in the seventh and couldn't score until the ninth off Jayson Werth's sacrifice fly. Lidge made his return, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks in 1/3 inning pitched. The Phillies lost this one 6-1.

Saturday: Happy birthday to me as JA Happ earned a complete game shut out, only allowing five hits, no walks, and striking out four. Werth ripped two homers, going 4-4 with three runs and three RBI's. Pedro Feliz also added a homer and two RBI's and Ryan Howard had three hits. Phillies won 10-0.

Sunday: Toronto jumped out to a 4-1 lead but in the fourth, the Phillies piled on four runs to take the permanent lead, 5-4, and wound up winning on that same score. Chase Utley had a double and triple, driving in two runs. Utley's triple in the fourth drove in the tying and go ahead runs.

Before I cap off the series recap, I want to know where Jimmy Rollins is. I think he has been punished enough for sucking. It's time to put him back in the line up in the sixth spot. Rollins was benched after his June 24 start and hasn't played in four games. I think Charlie Manuel let him know that he needs to find himself and I hope that when he makes his return, he'll be a smarter hitter.

Series MVP's:

PHI: Jayson Werth: 6-8, 4 runs, double, 2 home runs, 4 RBI's, 5 walks , .846 OBP

PHI: JA Happ : 9 IP, 0 runs, 5 hits, 0 BB, 4 K's

TOR: Aaron Hill: 4-14, 3 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 RBI's

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (39-34; 26-12 on road) @ Atlanta Braves (35-40; 18-21 at home)

The Phillies will continue their road trip after their Monday off as they travel to Atlanta. The are going into July, the month they usually heat up. With a 2 1/2 game lead on the Mets, this is when the Phillies will hopefully pull ahead for good. After the Braves series, they come home for 10 games that start versus the Mets.

Atlanta leads the season series 4-2 but the Braves have been struggling as of late. The Phillies hopefully seemed to have found their niche for a bit. The offense is still a bit inconsistent but they have always figured out how to put up runs in bunches on a regular basis.

Pitching Probables:

6/30: Blanton (4-4, 5.06), Lowe, D (7-6, 4.53)

7/1: Hamels (4-4, 4.44), Jurrjens (5-6, 2.93)

7/2: Carrasco (0-0, 0.00 ERA), Vazquez (5-7, 3.04 ERA)

Padilla/Glavine on Phillies Radar?

Tom Glavine and Vicente Padilla were recently released from the Braves and Rangers respectively and should not be on the free agent market for too long.

Rumor Mill on Baseball Digest.com:

One NL exec said... "The Phillies have been waiting for just this type of opportunity; take a veteran starter for a test drive for the next month or so before having to make any hard decisions about (San Diego’s Jake) Peavy or (Houston’s Roy) Oswalt.”

Glavine, who spurned the Phillies for the Mets back in 2003, is said to be “furious” with how the Braves handled the situation and “can’t wait to stick it up their a**.” Signing with the Phillies would go a long way towards fulfilling that goal.

The Phillies are said to prefer Glavine (and the NL exec said the veteran southpaw’s agent made an immediate call to Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. as soon as the release was requested by Glavine, who chose to get cut rather than retire a Brave), but would gladly take a flier on the former Phillie Padilla if they fail to come to terms with Glavine.

I honestly would take Glavine in a heartbeat just because he is better than Padilla, who played for the Phillies from 2000-2005. Glavine, a 305-game winner is also a future Hall of Famer and would be fun to watch on the mound. The only argument I can make for Padilla is that Glavine would give the Phillies four lefties and Padilla would atleast give them two righties.

I know this is not a permanent replacement for Brett Myers, who's season is done after hurting his right hip. The Phillies are said to make a play for a big time starter at the trade deadline on July 31. Antonio Bastardo impressed everyone in his Major League debut but will and should not be starting every five days until the trade deadline. Glavine or Padilla just be a fill in for that span and if they pitch well, could compete with Jamie Moyer or Joe Blanton to stay on as the 5th starter.

Glavine has not pitched at all this year as he couldn't make the Braves starting five. Padilla is 3-3 this year with a 5.57 ERA. He has gone 53.1 innings in nine starts (that's just under six innings per start) and has struck out 27.

I could see the Phillies rotation looking like this for the next two months and be comfortable (in current pitching order):
-Hamels
-Moyer
-Blanton
-Happ
-Glavine

Hamels to Pitch Tonight

Cole Hamels will be making his first start since spraining his ankle on April 28. Before that start he took a line drive off his left shoulder from Prince Fielder. It hasn't been just the regular season as Hamels has also missed time in Spring Training due to inflammation in his left elbow, forcing Brett Myers to take the opening day spot.

"We'll see how far he can go," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "Once his
pitch count gets up there, we'll see. He might be able to go 85 or 90 [pitches],
maybe more. I don't know."

Hamels is a great pitcher and I know he will come around. He has battled through injuries before and this is nothing new to him. He will catch fire mid-season and finish strong, returning to World Series MVP form.

Hamels has made four starts and is 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA. He has struck out 15 batter in 17.1 innings pitched. He will face Jo-Jo Reyes (0-1; 5.00) of the Braves tonight.

Pictures 4/9/09

Phillies win first game of 2009

It was a series that absolutely blew for the first 24 1/2 innings. Then with the help of some timely hitting, patience, and a bull pen that couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, the Phillies erupted to end the series on a high note. Going into Wednesday's game, the Phillies lost their first two games to the Atlanta Braves by a combined score of 8-1 and the starting pitching surrendered all 8 runs and a total of 5 home runs, the trend continued into the first 6 1/2 innings of Wednesday afternoon.

Joe Blanton got shelled, giving up 2 homers and 7 runs total and the bull pen surrendered 3 more to give the Braves a 10-3 lead. Now I am not going to make a habit of doing game stories but the story of the bottom of the 7th must me told in the eyes of someone who was there to witness it: me.

It was the 7th inning stretch and me and brother had to leave early so we walked downstairs to watch the Phillies bat one more time. They had the heart of the order coming up so I wanted to see them take one more stab at the Braves pitching. Shane Victorino led off with a ground out. Chase Utley then singled and Ryan Howard got hit high in the shoulder by a pitch. The crowd was absolutely livid at that pitch, especially for it hit one of the hometown heros. Jayson Werth drew a walk to load the bases and this is where the fun begins:

Braves 10 - Phillies 3 - bases are loaded with 1 out for Raul Ibanez.

10-4 - Ibanez hits an RBI single to score in Utley. Bases still loaded.

10-5 - Pedro Feliz hits another RBI single to drive in Howard. Bases still loaded.

10-6 - Matt Stairs pinch hits and walks in a run. Still loaded.

10-7 - Chris Coste pinch hits and walks in a run. Still loaded.

10-8 - Jimmy Rollins walks in a run. still loaded.

10-9 - Victorino singles to score Stairs. Still loaded.

10-10 - Utley walks to score in a run. Still loaded.

10-11 - Howard grounds out but drives in Rollins. Second and third with 2 outs and then Werth flew out to right to end the inning with the Phillies on top 11-10.

Yes people. that was an 8-run inning to come back from being down 10-3. Ryan Madson, also known as "The Bridge to Lidge," pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 8th. They added another run to go up 12-10 in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Eric Bruntlett. The Braves hit a solo home run off Brad Lidge to make it 12-11 in the top of the 9th. Mr. Perfect then held on to earn his first save of the year, striking out Garrett Anderson.

Pictures from the game will be posted later today. 

National League Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies will have a lot of work to do if they want to repeat as NL champions. In order to do that, they will have to get past NL East rivals New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. The competition doesn’t stop there as the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in the Central and the Los Angeles Dodgers will take the West but may see some competition. Here’s an in-depth look at the key teams in the National League.

In the East, the Phillies are still the favorite in the division. They have the best infield in the NL and probably all of baseball with Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Pedro Feliz. Their outfield is nothing short of good either with Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, and newly added Raul Ibanez to fill the hole Pat Burrell had left. Pitching will have to play like it did last season to defend that pennant successfully. Cole Hamels is an elite pitcher in the league. He may miss opening day with elbow problems. Brett Myers is his second man with 46-year old Jamie Moyer taking up the third spot in the rotation. Joe Blanton is the guy to keep your eyes on this year. He pitched well after making the move to the NL and should keep up that pace this year. Their bench is deep and their bull pen is strong, being led by closer Brad Lidge and set up man Ryan Madson. They will receive and instant boost once JC Romero is back from his 50-game suspension. Not many holes in this team at all.

The Mets are sick of blowing the season the past two years. They are also sick of blowing saves. So they went out and spent money to bring in closer Francisco Rodriguez, who broke the single season saves record last year. He will definitely rack up saves barring the opportunities he gets but he will blow his fair share too; not my idea of an improvement. There is nothing stellar once you get past ace Johan Santana in the rotation but Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez are decent pitchers. They do have a solid offense led by David Wright and Jose Reyes. Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado are still both dangerous hitters but after you get past the first five, their depth is very shallow. They are lucky because they are one of the better Wild Card teams.

The Braves bolstered their rotation with the signing of Derek Lowe. He will be supported by Javier Vazquez and Jair Jurrjens. Chipper Jones leads the offense and he is supported by Brian McCann, Kelly Johnson, Garrett Anderson and Jeff Francoeur. The Braves are young but always stay in the mix. The Florida Marlins have some young talent in Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez but that’s really about it. The pitching is very weak. The Washington National aren’t any better and will not be a factor at all this season.

In the Central, the Chicago Cubs are sticking by the motto, “Maybe This Year,” once again. They certainly have a good team but always fall very short in the playoffs. Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano are the spark plugs of this offense. Kosuke Fukudome really came into his own last season and should still be a key to their offense this season. They also sport one of the best young catchers in the league in Geovany Soto. Jeff Samardzija really turned into a good reliever last year and should see his role increased in the pen. Kevin Gregg and Carlos Marmal are the two leading candidates to be the Cubs closer this season.

The Cardinals may very well surprise us this year. Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball and he is healthy. He may be the only super star on that team but he is supported by guys who can play. They got Khalil Green in a trade in the offseason and have Troy Glaus at third still. Ryan Ludwick and Yadier Molino really played well last year and should continue to play well this season. The big story though is the pitching staff. Adam Wainwright will be the staff’s ace and he will be followed up by Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer. The Cardinals had no true closer last season but expect Ryan Franklin to take the role again. The rest of the division is very weak once you get past the Milwaukee Brewers. They lost CC Sabathia to the Yankees and I don’t see them getting that 2nd half magic they got last season. They have offensive talent but no pitching at all. The Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros do not pose a threat at all and the Pittsburgh Pirates are just awful.

In the West, the Dodgers seem to have things under control over there. They got Manny Ramirez to finally sign. He was the hottest player in the second half last season and the only Dodger who could figure out the Phillies pitching in the post season. Andre Ethier, James Loney, and Russell Martin will all contribute to the sturdy offense they have. They lost Lowe and Brad Penny in the pitching staff but added Randy Wolfe. They will look for Hiroki Kuroda and Chad Billingsley to step up and take control of the pitching. The Diamond backs will have to rely heavily on Brandon Webb’s arm if they want to compete. The San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Colorado Rockies won’t be too much of a factor.

The Phillies will take the East and will have the best record in the National League. The Cubs will take the Central in a close race and the Dodgers will easily win the West. The Cardinals should take the Wild Card over the Mets.